3. Do something very visual when you first approach a table. I tend to greet tables with a large red silk scarf in my hand. I very politely say "Excuse me, but I just got here and found this beautiful red silk scarf and wondered if any of the ladies at the table had dropped it." Of course, they always so no, so I immediately change the color of the scarf to blue and ask the question again. This always gets a great reaction and really warms the people up. I then introduce myself as the house magician and inquire as to how their visit has been so far. I will only then proceed to ask if they would like to see more magic...which they always do.

where can you get a colour changing scarf? I can kinda pull of the effect with a thumbtip and I have a colour changing silk but it's square. Noone will ever believe that somebody's dropped a square scarf.

I've had a restaurant job for the past 5 months. I love it! I get payed from the restaurant and make tips. I work Friday and Saturday nights and am willing to help out anyone who has any questions relating to starting out with a job, routines, etc. I'm here to help!

Shane--

hay how is it going i just wanted to know that what is the first step in do restaurant magic and how to become iti really wnat to go out and do magic in restaurant can u tell me what u did the 1 month of our career From chaz

Wow....hey guys. The thread is still alive! Haha. Anyway, although it has been pretty much clarified many times, here is what I used to get a restaurant job and have told others to use also. Out of the people I have told, no one got turned down....yet...

My personal recipe for restaurant magic success:

a. DO NOT NOT NOT, at any costs, DO NOT send letters or e-mails to restaurant owners/managers. You probably will never hear from them, ever.

b. Either call them or go see them in person.

c. Ask them about their what entertainment they commend and if they would be interested in having a table magician there. (You might have to do a "preview" performance for him/her to swindle them over....3 "teaser" tricks max! Quick, visual and stunning).

d. Discuss, discuss, discuss PAY! DO NOT UNDER SELL YOURSELF!!! You, at the very very minimum, should be making around $30-40/hour. If they offer less, that is your call. The reason being is that most people (people eating at the restaurant) are unaware that they SHOULD tip the magician. For this reason, you probably will heavily rely on the hourly pay the restaurant is giving you. When I first started out, they offered $20/hour and I got them to agree to $25. If you can swindle them higher, excellent. If you're afraid at losing a potential job over 5 more dollars, than do what you feel is best.

3. Do something very visual when you first approach a table. I tend to greet tables with a large red silk scarf in my hand. I very politely say "Excuse me, but I just got here and found this beautiful red silk scarf and wondered if any of the ladies at the table had dropped it." Of course, they always so no, so I immediately change the color of the scarf to blue and ask the question again. This always gets a great reaction and really warms the people up. I then introduce myself as the house magician and inquire as to how their visit has been so far. I will only then proceed to ask if they would like to see more magic...which they always do.

where can you get a colour changing scarf? I can kinda pull of the effect with a thumbtip and I have a colour changing silk but it's square. Noone will ever believe that somebody's dropped a square scarf.

I got mine from a fellow magician who is a distributor. I just asked him for a good one and he got me the nice one I use. It's the kind that turns inside out. It goes from blue to red and back again. It's a very nice item and I carry it all the time when performing. Very visual and instantly lets the spectators know I am a magician. It's a large scarf so it looks like it could be a lady's scarf. That makes it work well for the way I use it.

I have 2 questions. 1st question - if you are under 16 can you still do or get paid doing restaurant magic?2nd question - Is it better to approach a privately owned or corporate owned restaurant

You should certainly check with your local laws first. It is possible to get paid doing restaurant magic if you're under 16. However, at that age you may find it difficult getting your foot in the door and having them take you serious as an entertainer that is worth paying for. It has nothing to do with how good you are. To be completely honest, it doesn't matter how old you are...restaurants are difficult gigs to get. Stay persistent and follow up. Offer to work for free so they can see how it affects the patrons' dining experience.
You can approach both corporate and privately owned restaurants. However, privately owned restaurants will most likely be easier to work with. There's a lot of "red tape" to get through with corporate restaurants.

This is how it works when you make your living doing restaurant work. It is not all easy.

Last Friday (July 14) night my wife and I were at our usual restaurant, Don Pablo's on the river in Kentucky. (We also do a Sat. gig at the restaurant in Norwood OH, both in the Cincinnati metro area.) Jeremy, the regional manager was there along with the corporate vice president. The G.M and Jeremy both bragged about how we brought in the families and how much the customers liked us. In fact, the G.M told us that they were talking about us and how Jeremy and he wanted to give us a raise.

Well we got there yesterday (Fri July 21) and are setting up he face painting area when the G.M. comes out, sees us and says "OH S**T! didn't anyone call you?" Yep as soon as I heard him say "oh s**t" I knew it was coming. The corporate V.P. told them Monday before he went back to whence he came, that entertainment for families did not fit Don Pablo's image and we were to be cut.

This hurts. We would take in tips alone between US$150 to 200 a night from each of Don Pablo's stores. edited we had been there for 7 years.

Well Out marketing again first thing Tuesday to replace these 2 places. Getting our pictures taken as people instead of clown so we can work new places without the make up.

I am glad to know that the ONLY reason we were cut is the V.P. and that there was no complaint about us. In fact the G.M. said that corporate is going to be "deluged with b***hing because you're not here."

Sorry to hear that Peter. The Don Pablo's in this area had cut out there magicians about a year and a half ago. It was kind of the same type of reasoning that magic (family) entertainment didn't fit in the Don Pablo's atmosphere. I'm not much of a fan of them as a restaurant. My personal experiences there were pretty bad. I'm not saying they are a bad restaurant...just that my dining experiences, including food and service, were not that good. I voiced my experience in an email and never got a response. Pretty bad. I haven't been back since. Anyway, good luck in finding replacements. I hope they at least paid you for that night.

Do you have any kind of contract with your restaurants? I know that a contract requirement can sometimes make restaurants not want to deal with having a performing on location. I'm just about at the one year mark with T.G.I. Friday's. When I first started, the question of a contract and whether I would require one was brought up by the manager. Knowing that the contract thing may make it harder to get into a restaurant such as this (with all the red tape and such), I desided to leave it at a verbal contract. The idea was that if they decided to do away with my services, then they give me one month's notice.

Paul, all my restaurants have the same "contract." A handshake. That way we can always part company and no one is afraid of getting sued of some other silly stuff.

What happened is part of being a full time entertainer. The only reason I wrote that is because all these kids think it is so easy performing in restaurants. They don't know about the constant marketing and sales we do., or the working at 5 AM on out financial stuff, or the tax forms that have to be filled out CORRECTLY every 3 months or the fines and penalties we have to pay if they're not done correctly.

I have worked restaurants, bars and nite clubs for a long time. In one of the comments I see that someone said to ask for more money at their establishement. You can do that only if you are doing upsales at the bar and you are getting repeat business. So like what one person said in the forum. make money for the bar. I worked at Malones magic and got paid very little for a couple of years, but the tips and the business I got from it kept me going. Eugene Burger gave me the best piece of advice. He said to do a mnoney effect with the patrons money, but do the effect before your last routine. After you finsihed the money trick, just lay ithe money on the table and finish out your routine. At that point you are closer to getting the tip than if the money was in their pocket. GOOD LUCK

Paddy,
I know that you have everyone's best interest in mind and that you don't want your proffession to be belittled by kids with a passing interest in magic. I understand that you are afraid that restaurants will begin not hiring magicians because some kid ruins it. I understand that you want the proffession of magician to continue to be a respected one, not to be a teen scene David Blaine craze. I understand all these fears and I tell you to put them to bed. Magic has and will live beyond crazes. If you are a good magician then no restaurant will judge you on anything other than your magic. If you are a good entertainer you will always have an audience. So the best thing to do is let kids try as they might and give them guidance and warnings, those that are good enough to be proffessional magicians will make it through, which will thin the heard down.

So hopefully I've put your fears to rest and you will be more patient and less tense with potential magicians on here. It's better to inspire many and get one great magician than it is to discourage many and possibly loose a great magician.

In the, going on nine years now, that I have been a full time magician I have seen kids burn restaurant general managers from ever having entertainers. In fact I had a two stores of a chain restaurant for seven years. Some kid in Mephis TN was "entertaining" and used the word "F**k." Don't think it was part of the act just slipped out.

Wouldn't have been all that bad except the table he was "entertaining" happened to be the family of the president of the whole company.

Now notice the tense of the second sentence. It is in the past tense. Yep. FIFTY restaurants no longer have entertainers. The tips alone from these two restaurants was over US$350 every week. OK I had rhem replaced within 2 days, but the point is some kid with a dirty mouth caused fifty restaurant to forgo entertainers. 50 jobs shot to edited.

In the, going on nine years now, that I have been a full time magician I have seen kids burn restaurant general managers from ever having entertainers. In fact I had a two stores of a chain restaurant for seven years. Some kid in Mephis TN was "entertaining" and used the word "F**k." Don't think it was part of the act just slipped out.

Wouldn't have been all that bad except the table he was "entertaining" happened to be the family of the president of the whole company.

Now notice the tense of the second sentence. It is in the past tense. Yep. FIFTY restaurants no longer have entertainers. The tips alone from these two restaurants was over US$350 every week. OK I had rhem replaced within 2 days, but the point is some kid with a dirty mouth caused fifty restaurant to forgo entertainers. 50 jobs shot to edited.

Paddy

I see the problem. I think there is a solution. Many proffessions have licenses. Why not Proffessional Magicians. There should be a license that would ensure a magician or entertainer has the proper skill and experience in safety and proffessionalism to perform in an establishment that serves the public. What do you think?

I see the problem. I think there is a solution. Many proffessions have licenses. Why not Proffessional Magicians. There should be a license that would ensure a magician or entertainer has the proper skill and experience in safety and proffessionalism to perform in an establishment that serves the public. What do you think?

The do not require singers, or musicians or comedians or any entertainer to be licensed. You can tell from all the bad ones out there trying to work. It is the same for us, the pros have to fight the amateurs.

I see the problem. I think there is a solution. Many proffessions have licenses. Why not Proffessional Magicians. There should be a license that would ensure a magician or entertainer has the proper skill and experience in safety and proffessionalism to perform in an establishment that serves the public. What do you think?

The do not require singers, or musicians or comedians or any entertainer to be licensed. You can tell from all the bad ones out there trying to work. It is the same for us, the pros have to fight the amateurs.

Well the only way musicians and comedians fight amateurs is by being better than then them. In the case you are describing, Restaurant magicians cannot be compared to Musicians and Comedians because you are saying that the amateurs are actually ruining it for all Magicians. When did you hear of a Restaurant deciding not to hire anymore singers because they had a horribly unproffessional singer perform.

If magicians are loosing credibility as you say then maybe Regularly performing magicians should have some sort of certification by one of the existing magical societies. I'm not talking about testing magical or performing skills, I'm talking about proffessionalism and safety certification. Including background checks because many magicians might be in constant contact with children. This kind of certification will weed out those who are not committed and will also put Restaurant owners minds at peace.

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